World champion figure skater Deanna Stellato-Dudek has decided to switch back to representing the United States after spending seven seasons competing for Canada. She is teaming up with Danil Siianytsia to form a new pairs partnership.

Stellato-Dudek, a 43-year-old from Chicago, previously represented the United States in women’s singles over 25 years ago before joining Canada’s program in 2019 to skate alongside Maxime Deschamps. Deschamps recently announced his retirement from competitive figure skating.

In 2024, Stellato-Dudek, at the age of 40, made history by becoming the oldest woman to win a world figure skating title with Deschamps for Canada. They also clinched the 2024 Four Continents title and three Canadian championships. Following this success, she obtained Canadian citizenship, allowing her to compete for Canada at the Olympics.

Expressing her excitement about the new partnership with Siianytsia, Stellato-Dudek stated, “I’m incredibly excited to begin this new chapter with Danil, and I’m so grateful for all the fans who continue to support me through every chapter of my journey. I’ll give everything I have to make you proud and represent the USA with everything I have.”

Stellato-Dudek reflected on her journey in the sport, mentioning, “My journey in this sport has taken me places I never could have imagined, but the United States is where it all began for me. I’m grateful for everything I’ve experienced throughout my career and excited about what Danil and I can build together.”

Following their challenging experience at the Milan Cortina 2026 Olympics, where they finished 11th, Stellato-Dudek and Deschamps faced setbacks during the lead-up to the event, including Stellato-Dudek hitting her head on the ice in a training session shortly before the pairs event.

Siianytsia, aged 25 and originally from Dnipro, Ukraine, has been competing for the United States in pairs since 2017, previously partnering with Anastasiia Smirnova. Stellato-Dudek and Siianytsia will be training in Colorado Springs under Olympic coach Drew Meekins as they prepare for the qualifying season leading up to the 2027 U.S. Figure Skating Championships.